Ruth couldn’t find the right words to say, and could only look at Kasha with a sorrowful gaze. The sight of him, who had always been so confident and strong, now appearing so fragile and pitiful, was unbearable. Almost on the verge of tears, Ruth walked up to Kasha and embraced his shoulders.

“I’m sorry. For making you talk about such painful things… I’m sorry.”

“No. Now that I’ve told you, I feel relieved. I thought I would never tell anyone, but now I feel lighter.”

“You’re such a pitiful guy.”

Kasha gave a bitter smile at Ruth’s voice full of sympathy.

“You’re the one who’s more pitiful. Why did you have to choose such a fool?”

At Kasha’s teasing words, Ruth laughed and kissed his hair.

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t have chosen him either. You know that, right?”

“I chose him myself.”

Seeing Kasha stubbornly holding on to his pride, Ruth gently stroked Kasha’s long hair.

“Don’t think about anything. Just think about yourself. If you want him, take him. If he wants you, don’t look at anything else.”

“That’s exactly what I was planning. I’m going to turn Clozium upside down.”

Though it sounded like a joke, there was sincerity in his words, and Ruth finally smiled, pulling away from Kasha.

“I should go now.”

“Goodbye. I won’t see you off. Watching someone leave far away doesn’t feel good.”

It had been the same when they were children. Sixteen years ago, when Ruth was leaving Vera, Kasha didn’t see him off. He said that if he saw him off, it would feel like he was leaving forever. He said he would wait for Ruth to return one day, so he wouldn’t see him off. And it was the same now. He would meet him again someday, so there was no need to say goodbye.

“Okay. Take care.”

Ruth smiled brightly and looked at Kasha’s face. Kasha also smiled faintly in return.

“I’ll be in Vera, so feel free to visit anytime. If that fool bothers you again, just run away.”

“Okay.”

“Be careful on your way. And contact me once you arrive in Vera.”

Kasha spoke as if he wasn’t bothered at all, but Ruth could tell that he was feeling a lot of regret. He gave him a gentle look.

“Yeah. I’ll make sure to contact you, and mother and Leah will be in Vera too.”

“Okay. Now, all you need to do is be happy.”

“I’m happy now.”

When Ruth gave a genuinely bright smile, Kasha clicked his tongue.

“You simpleton. Why don’t you ask to be the Empress or something? Are you going to live as just a concubine?”

It was an absurd suggestion, but the way Kasha said it made it strangely convincing. Ruth chuckled, imagining that if it were up to Kasha, he might even try to become the Emperor himself.

“I’ll give it a try. Stay healthy and take care. Let’s meet again soon. I enjoyed traveling with you.”

“Of course. Where else would you have a journey like that, getting attacked countless times and feeling your life threatened? If you ever want an adventure, just come. I’ll travel with you.”

Ruth, smiling bitterly at Kasha’s twisted words, finally said his last goodbye.

“Alright. I’ll be going now.”

“Take care.”

“Yeah.”

Ruth barely managed to take a step away, his feet reluctant to leave, and exited Kasha’s room. It would be nice if they could stay together forever, but Kasha had his own place, and Ruth had his. The one thing he had to give up for the most desired thing was so much—his mother, his little sister, his friends, and even his beloved hometown.

As he slowly walked down the corridor, Ruth was surprised at how much he had changed. Just a month ago, he had longed to return to Vera. He had poured everything over the past 16 years into his hometown, but now, it was so easy to give it all up.

It wasn’t because he no longer loved his hometown. It wasn’t because he didn’t value his mother, Leah, or his friends. They were still a part of him, the people he loved most, and his emotional refuge. But now, something more precious had come into his life.

As Ruth walked down the long corridor and descended the stairs, he saw Ayl standing at the entrance of the mansion. His gaze, which had been exchanged with Regen, was now directed towards Ruth. Under the slowly rising sun, Ail was shining brilliantly, his illness from the previous day completely gone. The clear red hue in his hair and the natural smile on his lips brought a sense of warmth.

As Ruth stopped on the stairs and looked at him, Ail noticed and turned to gesture him over, as if inviting him to come. Drawn by the gesture, Ruth walked toward him.

In the distance, the sun was rising. It was a particularly clear day.